The invention relates to teatcup liners for use in a teatcup assembly for milking a mammal.
As known in the prior art, a plurality of teatcups are connected to respective teats suspending from the udder of a mammal such as a cow. Each teatcup assembly has a teatcup liner or inflation around a respective teat and defining a milk flow passage within the liner below the teat, and a pulsation chamber outside the liner between the liner and the teatcup shell, for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,269,143, 4,530,307, 5,178,095, 5,218,924, 6,055,931, all incorporated herein by reference. The system has a milking cycle with an on portion and an off portion. Milk flows from the teat towards a milking claw during the on portion, and then to a storage vessel. During the off portion, the liner is collapsed around the teat, to aid in the circulation of body fluids. Vacuum is continuously applied to the milk flow passage within the liner. Vacuum is alternately and cyclically applied to the pulsation chamber between the liner and the teatcup shell, to open and close the liner, all as is known.
The present invention arose during continuing development efforts directed toward teatcup liners. The invention provides various constructions reducing liner slip of the liner along the teat, i.e. anti-creep. The invention also provides various constructions increasing milking speed and milk harvest, i.e. faster milking.